Liquid detergent compositions comprised of mixtures of alkyl polyglycol ethers and quaternary ammonium compounds

Abstract

An improved liquid detergent composition is comprised of: (a) from about 5 to 18% by weight of a mixture of longer chain alkyl polyglycol ethers; (b) from about 5 to 18% by weight of a second mixture of shorter chain alkyl polyglycol ethers, the quantitative ratio of component (a) to component (b) being from about 2:1 to 1:2; and (c) from about 2.5 to 10% by weight of a fabric-softening quaternary ammonium salt.

We claim: 
     
       1. A liquid detergent composition comprised of: (a) from about 5 to 18% by weight of a mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers of the formula ##STR5##  wherein R 1  represents a linear alkyl radical; R 2 , in from about 20 to 75% of said alkyl polyglycol ethers, represents a C 1  to C 4  alkyl group and, in from about 25 to 80% of said alkyl polyglycol ethers, represents a hydrogen atom, the total number of carbon atoms in R 1  and R 2  together being from about 11 to 15; and n represents an average value of from about 5 to 9, n being a value such that the ethylene oxide content represents from about 50 to 65% by weight, based on the total weight of the mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers;   (b) from about 5 to 18% by weight of a mixture of polyglycol ethers of Formula I, wherein R 1  represents a linear alkyl radical; R 2  is a hydrogen atom or, in from about 20 to 75% of said alkyl polyglycol ethers, represents a C 1  to C 4  alkyl group and, in from about 25 to 80% of said alkyl polyglycol ethers, represents a hydrogen atom, the total number of carbon atoms in R 1  and R 2  together being from about 6 to 10; and n represents an average value of from about 3 to 8, n being of such a value that the ethylene oxide content represents from about 55 to 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers, the quantitative ratio of (a) to (b) being from about 2:1 to 1:2, and   (c) from about 2.5 to 10% by weight, of a compound of the formula ##STR6##  wherein R 3  represents a linear or branched alkyl radical having substantially from about 14 to 16 carbon atoms and X -  represents an anion selected from the group comprised of chloro, bromo, methyl sulfato, ethyl sulfato, methane sulfonato, ethane sulfonato, and toluene sulfonato groups, or a mixture of the compounds.   
     
     
       2. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1, wherein radicals R 3  in component (c) are substantially linear alkyl radicals of 14 or 16 carbon atoms and the ratio of C 14  to C 16  radicals is from about 3:7 to 7:3. 
     
     
       3. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1, wherein the compounds of Formula II are derived from an olefin mixture having from about 35 to 45% by weight alpha-C 16  -olefin and from about 55 to 65% by weight alpha-C 18  -olefin, based on the total weight of the olefin mixture. 
     
     
       4. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein X -  represents a chloro or methyl sulfato group. 
     
     
       5. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein component (a) plus component (b) together represent from about 10 to 30% by weight. 
     
     
       6. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein component (a) plus component (b) together represent from about 15 to 30% by weight. 
     
     
       7. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein R 1  and R 2  of component (a) together contain from about 11 to 13 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       8. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein the ethylene oxide content of component (a) is from about 55 to 60% by weight, based on the total weight of component (a). 
     
     
       9. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein R 1  and R 2  of component (b) together contain from about 8 to 10 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       10. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 wherein the ethylene oxide content of component (b) is from about 55 to 60% by weight, based on the total weight of component (b). 
     
     
       11. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 comprising: (a) from about 10 to 12.5% by weight of a mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers of Formula I wherein R 1  and R 2  together have from about 11 to 13 carbon atoms and wherein the average ethylene oxide content is from about 55 to 65% by weight, based on the weight of the mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers;   (b) from about 10 to 12.5% by weight of a mixture of alkyl polyglycol ether of Formula I wherein R 1  has from about 7 to 10 carbon atoms and R 2  is a hydrogen atom and wherein the average content of ethylene oxide is from about 60 to 70% by weight, based on the weight of the mixture of alkyl polyglycol ethers;   (c) from about 2.5 to 5% by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt of Formula II wherein R 3  represents a substantially linear alkyl radical having from about 14 to 16 carbon atoms and where X -  represents a chloro group, the weight ration of C 14  to C 16  alkyl radicals being about 2:3; and   (d) remainder to 100% by weight comprised of water, water-miscible organic solvents, and customary additives selected from the group consisting of dyes, perfumes, preservatives, and heavy metal sequestrants.